The Importance of Quests

I'm Lisa 👋 Welcome to the latest edition of A Little More Conscious!

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Happy Saturday 🙂 

Recently I’ve been trying to find activities that I can do when I’m having a particularly hard day and can’t move a ton with some of the health things I’ve been dealing with.

I ended up getting a refurbished PS5 and have been getting really into gaming.

Did I think this is what I’d be doing at 37? Absolutely not.

Would my 10-year-old self be proud? Absolutely.

I’m still figuring out which kinds of games I like the best, but seem to be gravitating to adventure games and I think I know why.

With some of the health challenges I'm facing at the moment, when I can’t explore physically, this is a way for me to explore virtually.

And what I have discovered is that, against the stereotype of video games being a waste of time and bad for you, I have found them to be really helpful.

How so?

I’ve thought a lot about what a life well lived really means.

(There's a segue coming up, I promise).

Some argue that we need a singular purpose - one that helps give our lives meaning, an overall direction, and that motivates us. It's something that helps influence our daily decisions, shapes our goals, and helps us navigate life’s challenges.

Personally, I have discovered that I’m more of a free spirit.

And, while some parts of me have remained the same, I have changed a lot. So has my inner guidance system. It’s confusing, as Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne point out in Bridesmaids, and not necessarily binary.

More recently, I’ve been gravitating towards living a values-based life - one that isn’t necessarily focused solely on achievements but that is geared towards taking action in ways that are aligned with our values.

But…what if there’s a way to combine them both?

This is where gaming comes in.

Go on quests that align with your values.

Add some curiosity and adventure into the mix.

Meet interesting people along the way.

Grow in unexpected ways.

I recently played the Last of Us 1 and 2 and was pretty blown away - they are not new games and I had already watched the show, but they do an amazing job at character development (the first is way better at this than the second) so you truly understand who these people are and what’s driving them. And then, aligned with those drivers, you must go on quests which turn into one big adventure (albeit a scary one in this case).

Horizon Zero Dawn is another example where I think the developers struck a great balance between “who is this person?” “what do they care about most?” and “what adventures will they go on as a result?”.

So…what if we could apply this to our own lives?

What if we could replace doomscrolling or being on an endless sleep-eat-work- treadmill with days filled with quests that align with what we care most about? Quests that challenge us. Quests that help us meet new and interesting people. Quests that help us learn more about ourselves. And…quests that make life…a little but more of an adventure.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to apply this day-to-day and have landed on a few ideas:

1. Quests that are just plain fun (i.e. “Find the best donuts in the city”)

2. Quests that stretch us and that we know will help us grow in some way (i.e. Misogis)

3. Quests that help us meet new people (i.e. “Go to a bar solo and talk to a stranger”)

4. Quests that help us turn potential negatives into curiosity and growth (i.e. “Learn as much as I can about the immune system from the doctor I have an appointment with today so I can figure out what to do to best support it.”)

5. Quests that feed into bigger communal purposes (i.e. "Sign up for Run for the Cure and raise $2000 for cancer research”)

So…whether your quest today is to find the best donuts in your city…or to go on a 12 hour walk…or to learn how to code or have a conversation with someone in another language…

I hope you are able to find some creative ways to add some new quests to your life that feel aligned with your values.

Cheers to being your own main character 🕹️

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1. How the Zoom In/Zoom Out Principle Changed My Life

2. How to Get Over the Fear of Being Seen

3. Read This For A Mental Refresh 

How Was This Edition? 🫠

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Thanks for reading!

I hope that you enjoyed this edition and it inspired you to live a little more consciously.

Here’s to navigating life off of autopilot together.

Lisa ✌️